Joseph was a man sold into slavery by his brothers for no reason other than jealousy. In Egypt he suffered, being falsely accused. He spent years in prison. God was with him, but he had no clue “why” he suffered so much. Eventually he was released and raised up to a position of power and authority in Egypt second only to Pharaoh. In that position he was able to meet the needs of his father and brothers during a seven year drought. What is the point? As Joseph suffered he had no clue why, but in time he came to see that even the bad things his brothers did to him were part of God’s good plan to save life. ^“As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today Genesis 50:20.”

Job was a man who lost his money, ten children and his health in a matter of days. He loved God and lived upright before God his whole life. Why did so many bad things happen to such a good man? Behind the scenes we learn that God allowed these things to happen that the strength of Job’s love for God might be seen more clearly. Job’s attitude while he suffered is recorded… “And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’ In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrong Job 1:21-22.” At first he did not know “why” he suffered, but he did know that all he owned, even his children, were gifts from God and that God had every right to take those gifts away. He thanked God for the years he had with his kids and for the joy they brought him. In time Job’s trials would end, His faith in God would be beautifully revealed and we read… “And the LORD blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning Job 42:12.” One great purpose God had in all the suffering and pain Job endured was to leave God’s people a pattern to follow when suffering without any idea “why.” Continue to believe in God. Continue to trust that though you have no idea why you are suffering, why such things are happening, God knows! There is a good purpose and someday He will share that purpose with us for His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9).

Jesus Christ was a man who healed the sick, fed the hungry and tirelessly lived to serve and not to be served. In return for his love He was hated. They falsely accused and condemned Him to be crucified. He was beaten, whipped, and nailed to a Roman cross for no other reason than jealousy. Why did God allow such a wonderful person to suffer such terrible things? In Acts 2:23 we are told that Jesus was crucified by the hands of lawless men, but that he was crucified according to the “definite plan and foreknowledge of God.” Why? “He died for our sins according to the scriptures…” The cross is not primarily an example of a good man suffering unjustly, but of Jesus, fully God and fully man, sacrificially laying down His life as a ransom for many! He died to bear the penalty our sins deserve! In other words, there was an amazingly good purpose behind all the suffering of Christ. He died to save His people from their sins. He died so that you might be saved from sin, reconciled to God, filled with Holy Spirit and supremely blessed in this life and in the life to come!